World Bank pledges $75m to revive Ghana’s ailing cocoa sector
The World Bank has pledged about $75 million towards a cocoa rehabilitation programme designed to restore roughly 25,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Ghana, as the sector grapples with disease outbreaks and falling productivity.
The funding, provided under the West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), will help revive heavily affected farmlands, boost yields, improve farmers’ incomes, and promote long-term sustainability within the cocoa industry.
Speaking at a World Bank Civil Society Organisation engagement on food security in Accra, Agricultural Economist at the World Bank Ghana, Ashwini Sebastian, explained that the initiative forms part of wider efforts to strengthen food system resilience across West Africa.
She noted that the programme, financed by the World Bank and implemented by the Government of Ghana, has made it possible to access grant funding, including seed financing from the Norwegian government to support key agricultural value chains.
Dr. Sebastian added that the initiative extends beyond cocoa, with support for seed system development in selected areas. This includes testing improved crop varieties capable of withstanding dry-season conditions, particularly in northern Ghana.
“We are piloting seed varieties suitable for dry-season farming, especially in the north, to enhance productivity and resilience,” she said, adding that farmers are also being supplied with cashew seedlings to help diversify income sources and strengthen livelihoods.
Describing the cocoa component as a flagship intervention, she revealed that nearly $75 million is being invested to rehabilitate farms affected by disease, with an initial goal of restoring about 5,000 hectares by July.
The programme will involve replacing diseased and low-yielding trees with improved, high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties, alongside the promotion of better farm management practices.
This investment comes at a crucial time for Ghana’s cocoa sector, which continues to face challenges such as swollen shoot disease, ageing trees, and climate variability. Experts believe large-scale rehabilitation is vital to reversing declining output and maintaining Ghana’s standing as one of the world’s top cocoa producers.
Given cocoa’s importance as a key source of foreign exchange, the initiative is also expected to support export earnings and improve economic stability in rural communities.
The World Bank emphasized that building resilience in key crops like cocoa is essential for ensuring food security and strengthening agricultural systems across the region.
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